Documentary of toddler's plight moves Valley musician to action

Some television shows make people laugh. Others make people cry. A documentary called "Born Without a Face" moved musician Don Andreas to organize a benefit.

The Bethlehem man plays gigs up and down the East coast and even appeared on VH1. Now, he has a new mission -- helping out one little girl.

Juliana Wetmore is a 2-year-old from Orange Park, Fla., near Jacksonville. She was born with a rare disease called Mandibulofacial Dysostosis, better known as Treacher Collins Syndrome. TCS, which occurs in one in every 50,000 live births, causes abnormalities of the head and face.

Juliana has a severe case -- at birth she was missing 60 percent of the bones in her face, including an upper jaw, cheekbones and eye sockets. The corner of her ear is missing. She has undergone almost 15 surgeries and procedures and more are planned. She relies on tubes to breathe and eat.

Juliana's father, Thom Wetmore, is in the Navy, so the Navy covers most of Juliana's medical costs. However, the family must travel to Miami for her surgeries, which have been a strain on the family's finances.

Andreas learned all of this when he saw "Born Without a Face" late last year. The documentary aired on multiple Discovery Channels, including The Learning Channel and Discovery Health Channel. The show airs again at 9 p.m. today on the Discovery Health Channel.

"I watch shows like that all the time," the singer/guitarist explains. "The show ends and I go "Whoa,' then I turn the channel and move along." However, after "Born Without A Face," Andreas didn't move along.

"I just couldn't shake it from my head for about a week," Andreas says. He continues to ask himself, "How could I make something happen?" Andreas had already sent money and offered his frequent flyer miles to the Wetmore family. (The family couldn't use them because Juliana must travel by vehicle). However, Andreas wanted to do more.

As a local musician -- he plays as "Just Plain Don" -- Andreas has many connections. "I just started approaching people I know," he says.

The result? A Week for Juliana -- a weeklong benefit that begins Feb. 14.

Local restaurants and bars will have collection cans for patrons to donate money to Juliana. Most of the venues will be places that Andreas will be performing. Andreas says he will donate all of his earnings that week to the cause.

A number of businesses have already agreed to become donation centers, but Andreas is hoping for more.

One of the businesses helping out is Starters Pub in Lower Saucon Township. "We're big on helping others," says manager Mo Taylor.

The restaurant will have a donation bucket. It also has invited Andreas to be a celebrity bartender beginning at 7 p.m. Feb. 16. Taylor says she will work with Andreas and 100 percent of their tips will go to Juliana. Andreas will perform at Starters after his bartending gig.

Andreas says this is not a publicity stunt.

"It's the story that got me off my couch," he says. "No one is more surprised about it than me."

He adds: "I'm a firm believer that everyone has their cause. This little girl for some reason was my cause."

Andreas is not alone in being touched by this story.

"People from all over the world, of every age and circumstance, have become interested in Juliana," says Jeanne DeSilver, Juliana's nighttime nurse, who acts as the family's secretary and worked with Andreas. She says letters have come in from across the United States and countries such as Japan and Iraq.

The benefit timing is perfect, says Andreas, because the Wetmores will be traveling to Miami for another surgery at the end of March.

Asked about a goal, Andreas says, "If we hit $5,000, I'd be ecstatic. Whatever it is, the money is going to help."

THE DETAILS

"A WEEK FOR JULIANA'

What: Fundraiser organized by Don Andreas for Juliana Wetmore, a girl born without most of the bones in her face. A documentary about her, "Born Without a Face," re-airs tonight at 9 p.m. on Discovery Health Channel.